Author: Margaret's Cats

Meet the cats!

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All of our cats are rescue cats (except for Potter). Since Stefano and I got married, 21 years ago!, we’ve rescued only cats or kittens who were in need or in danger or sick…

Here are their names and ages, from the eldest to the youngest:

  • Pavarotta, 16-17 years old.
  • Peekaboo, 13 years old.
  • Pinga, 11 years old.
  • Prezzemolo, 8 years old.
  • Pixie and Pandora, sisters, adopted 3 years ago.
  • Potter, almost 4 months old (tomorrow).

Except for the youngest three cats and for Peekaboo (who was born in a neighbor’s yard), we don’t have exact birth DATES for Pavarotta, Pinga, and Prezzemolo.

Piccolo (left) and Puzzola, 2005

Based on what the vet told us, therefore, we assigned random birthdays to these three cats, but, especially in Pavarotta’s case (this will be made clearer when I write her story), the dates could be off by a matter of months…indeed, in her case, even by an entire year…or so. 

You may have noticed that their names all begin with the letter “P.” That’s sort of a “tradition” that began by chance with our first two cats (who are no longer with us, unfortunately): Puzzola and Piccolo, see photo. I mean, we didn’t actually plan to use only “P” names. It just happened. 

And that’s it for today!

Why a cat blog?

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I’ve wanted to have my own cat blog for years now. Until recently, though, a good part of my free time was devoted to doing research for another blog, my personal health blog, titled “Margaret’s Corner. Living with smoldering myeloma in Tuscany” (see: https://margaret.healthblogs.org/). I have a type of deadly blood cancer called multiple myeloma. Luckily for me, I’ve been in the so-called “smoldering,” or inactive, stage for more than 15 years. So, life is good, fingers crossed.

Pinga (left) and Pandora, with a glimpse of Pavarotta in the back, on the left

But this is my cat blog, my “escape from reality” blog. No cancer talk…no politics…

Just cats.

Okay, so here’s my quick and easy answer to the question: why a cat blog? It’s because Stefano and I live with seven indoor cats of all ages and backgrounds. 

Even though they spend all their time inside, our cats are never bored. We live in a townhouse with plenty of space for everyone. The cats have tons of toys, floor-to-ceiling cat towers, and, best of all (of course!), they have me, almost 24 hours a day now. I stay/work at home most of the time, especially since early March (when Italy went into a total lockdown caused by Covid-19), so I’m always ready to hug, pet, or play with them, clean their litter boxes, feed them, and tend to their every need.

In the next few days, I’ll introduce these wonderful cats, one by one.

Incidentally, I won’t just be posting cute cat photos/videos and writing about fluffy, silly stuff. I mean, I’ll probably be doing that, too, but I also want to remember the cats we’ve lost and will therefore at times be discussing some rather difficult subjects, such as grief. But…that can all wait for later! First, let’s go with some photos and some fluff! 🙂

Never say never

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“Okay,” I said, “fact is, we’re getting older…”

“Speak for yourself,” retorted Stefano, my husband of 21 years, grinning and interrupting my chain of thought.

“…we’re getting older,” I repeated, ignoring him, “and our cats are getting older, too. So here’s what I think: we don’t NEED any more cats, our house is full. But let’s just say that at some point we come across the cutest, most lovable kitten in the world. Well, forget it. Not happening. Everyone wants to adopt kittens, and kittens usually have a much easier time finding a good home compared to adult cats. In the future, therefore, we will be open ONLY to adopting an elderly or disabled cat that nobody else wants.”

(Harry) Potter, July 2020, 2.5 weeks old

And so we both agreed: no more kittens.

This conversation took place about a year ago, and that’s how, in July 2020, we ended up with Potter, an absolutely adorable, fluffy 2.5-month-old Maine Coon kitten.

Never say never.

It only gets you into trouble… 🙂